{"id":111729,"date":"2024-10-03T08:15:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T06:15:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquainfo.nl\/?p=111729"},"modified":"2024-11-18T22:12:39","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T21:12:39","slug":"15-10-hybrid-planted-aquariums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aquainfo.nl\/en\/15-10-hybrid-planted-aquariums\/","title":{"rendered":"15.10. Hybrid Planted Aquariums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This article is about a type of planted aquarium where the \u201clow tech\u201d CO2 system is to obtain the CO2 from wood pellets buried in the substrate rather than getting the CO2 from some CO2 gas system. The system uses chemical fertilization. So this is sort of a \u201chybrid\u201d between low tech and high tech planted aquarium systems. These are its TYPICAL<\/strong> characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th>Hybrid<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Plants<\/td>Any<\/td><\/tr>
Fertilizer<\/td>Light fertilization<\/td><\/tr>
Bottom substrate<\/td>One-inch wood pellets<\/td><\/tr>
Capping substrate<\/td>One-inch coarse sand<\/td><\/tr>
Carbon dioxide<\/td>From the pellets<\/td><\/tr>
Lights<\/td>Moderate 4-4-4-4-4-4<\/td><\/tr>
Filter<\/td>Big<\/td><\/tr>
Aeration<\/td>None<\/td><\/tr>
Water movement<\/td>Some low in the tank<\/td><\/tr>
Number of fish<\/td>Light<\/td><\/tr>
Inoculate<\/td>Pond mud<\/td><\/tr>
Difficulty<\/td>Moderately<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Hybrid Planted Aquarium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cHybrid Method\u201d is named from the fact it incorporates certain elements of both the Walstad planted aquarium and the high tech planted aquarium. Note this is ONLY<\/strong> a TYPICAL<\/strong> set up. None of these parameters are cast in stone. They can all be changed with success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a follower of Walstad will say the hybrid method is \u201cunnatural\u201d and thus is somehow \u201cbad\u201d. It uses \u201chorrible chemicals\u201d which won\u2019t work because they are not \u201cnatural\u201d. And the \u201caquascaping\u201d followers of the high-tech EI method will chuckle at how \u201cna\u00efve\u201d this approach is. But note it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wood used for wood pellets typically has high tannins. If you do not want yellow water plan on using a lot of activated carbon to remove the yellow color. One idea on my bucket list to try is to replace the pellets with a ream or two of plain old office paper. That should supply the carbon dioxide  without supplying any tannins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Low
Low Tech Planted Aquarium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then there are some who read my articles on the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and ask why the cellulose pellets will not produce a huge amount of brown gunk and plug everything up. Good question! The answer lies in the fact that cellulose is VERY difficult for protozoans to break down. Indeed, there are many scholars who say the hot climate and coal produced in prehistoric times wouldn\u2019t have occurred except for the fact that organisms that VERY<\/strong> slowly break down cellulose hadn\u2019t yet come on the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Walstad (low nitrogen soil substrate) and Father Fish (high nitrogen soil substrate) bury this cellulose (in different forms than pellets) and have GREAT<\/strong> tanks. I\u2019ve got a relatively new tank(six months) with wood pellets and it is doing just great. The slow speed of the breakdown of cellulose is confirmed simply by the number of pieces of driftwood that have survived many years in tanks with very high nitrates. Cellulose is just VERY<\/strong> resistant to decomposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Low
Low Tech Planted Aquarium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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